What is the meaning of Numbers 5:14? and if a feeling of jealousy comes over her husband - Scripture recognizes jealousy as a real, powerful emotion within covenant marriage. - Just as “the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14), a husband’s jealousy mirrors God’s zeal to protect covenant faithfulness. - Jealousy here is not dismissed; it is addressed so that sinful suspicion does not fester. and he suspects his wife who has defiled herself - “Defiled” points to actual adultery, breaking the one-flesh bond established in Genesis 2:24. - Adultery carried the death penalty under the law (Leviticus 20:10), so false or uncertain accusation demanded careful, God-ordained procedure. - The jealousy offering (Numbers 5:15–22) provided objective, God-given resolution, preventing private vengeance (compare Deuteronomy 32:35). or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him - The repetition stresses that jealousy can rise without proof. - In such cases the husband must still follow God’s process, submitting his emotions to divine judgment—an early lesson in self-control (Proverbs 16:32). - This protects the wife from baseless slander (Exodus 20:16) and guards the husband from harboring sin in his heart (James 1:20). and he suspects her even though she has not defiled herself - God makes provision for the innocent. If the ordeal proved her purity, “she will be free and may conceive children” (Numbers 5:28). - The passage upholds a wife’s honor and reinforces the principle that “every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). - False suspicion is exposed, restoring trust and peace in the home—echoing the call to “pursue the things that lead to peace” (Romans 14:19). summary Numbers 5:14 shows God’s concern for truth and marital faithfulness. Whether jealousy springs from actual adultery or mere suspicion, the Lord provides a just, orderly way to uncover reality, protect the innocent, and discipline the guilty. |
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